


On Broken Wings

by Matty014



Category: Batman - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Support Department Midoriya Izuku, U.A. is a University (My Hero Academia)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26608393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Matty014/pseuds/Matty014
Summary: All Might has won his final battle with All for One, but his victory has come at a terrible cost. An era of peace is ushered in by a new wave of support gear spearheaded by All Might's long time friend, David Shield. When the Vice President of David's company encounters a young boy visiting their building on a field trip, their conversation and subsequent mentor/mentee relationship will have lasting effects on not only those directly involved but on Hero Society as a whole.TL;DR Izuku becomes Batman with retired All Might and the Shields' help
Relationships: Midoriya Hisashi & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Hisashi/Midoriya Inko, Midoriya Inko & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & David Shield, Midoriya Izuku & Melissa Shield, Midoriya Izuku & Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 41
Kudos: 239





	1. Zero Year

“Come out, come out, _All Might,”_ the sickeningly calm voice beckoned, echoing around the rubble and fallen buildings that made up the battleground. “I’m not quite finished with you yet. Besides, it doesn’t seem fitting for the self proclaimed ‘Symbol of Peace’ to hide from the man who killed his master.”

Hot acid welled up in Toshinori’s stomach, filling the back of his throat with a furious tingling as he bit back a ferocious retort. He couldn’t be baited, he needed to reset his shoulder. Looking around for a solid looking piece of concrete, the hero ducked under some rubble to stay out of his foe’s line of sight as he hurried to the rock. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his limp arm and shoulder against the rubble, adjusting until he thought he felt the head of his humerus align with his shoulder joint. With one, sharp press he felt a sickening pop and suppressed a cry of pain as he found himself-albeit painfully-able to move his arm again.

_‘Okay, All Might, get back out there.’_

Toshinori flexed his ears and listened. He was hoping to hear the crunching of gravel to alert him to All for One’s location, praying that the villain had grown complacent with his upper hand in their battle and gotten sloppy.

The sound of laughter directly behind him quickly disabused him of that hope. 

“Look at you, hiding like a child. Though I suppose you were still a young man when I killed Shimura.”

Toshinori whipped around to face the pale haired man hovering a few feet above the ruined street. Hatred bubbled up like bile in his stomach as he spat his next few words. “You don’t deserve to speak her name.”

All for One clapped his hands together lazily with a satisfied chuckle that made Toshinori bristle with fury. “Oho, that’s quite a fierce expression you have there, _boy._ Whatever would people say if they saw Japan’s favorite son so unsettled by a common villain?”

“Common? I didn’t think you had it in you to be so humble.” Toshinori felt some sort of lecture or speech coming on from his foe, and judging by the amused light in All for One’s eye, he knew he had him for at least a short moment. 

“To think, I’ve been killing the bearers of my brother’s old quirk for… oh which number are you? Six? Ten? I lose track so easily, all of you fall so quickly.”

Toshinori grimaced. _‘That’s right, asshole, keep talking.’_ He measured his breathing, allowing One for All a chance to reinvigorate him, flooding his muscles with strength. Normally he maintained roughly seventy percent of his power to get by even with the strongest of foes he came up against. It had been a long time since he had relied on the full extent of his abilities. 

“-what even was your Quirk before that woman let you shoulder this power, knowing full well you would have to face me one day?”

With a smile, Toshinori stood up to his full height. “I might tell you if you can beat me.”

All for One smiled in response, the air around his body seeming to sizzle as a red aura flickered to life. “In that case, I’ll let you experience a handy little power I picked up recently.”

The air pressure shifted and Toshinori felt his stomach drop as All for One rushed him. It took all of his determination not to bow out and run for the hills as his fight or flight instincts went haywire. Something had changed in All for One.

Concrete shot toward All for One, cloaking his forearm in rubble just before his first punch connected with Toshinori’s forearms. A hiss escaped the hero’s teeth as his arms screamed in protest before he was knocked backward. 

Sliding to a halt, Toshinori shook off the pain but found it harder than usual. _“That’s new.”_

“Like it?” All for One drawled. “I found a wonderful Quirk that allows me to sap the energy of those around me and transfer that energy to my own Quirk’s power.” He spread his arms out, spawning a series of spikes from his body. Those spikes, in turn, broke off and began floating around him. “It’s funny if you think about it. I’m the one who gave my brother the power to create his ‘ultimate weapon’ to stand up against me, and it is now that same stockpiled power that will allow me to eradicate the last of you _pests_ once and for all.”

Toshinori ground his teeth, brain racing to come up with some sort of strategy. If his Quirk was fueling All for One, how could he beat him?

Unfortunately, Toshinori wasn’t given time to think as All for One’s spikes began circling faster. In a half a moment, the hero was forced to sprint away as each spike was shot like a bullet at him. Physically, Toshinori felt fine aside from a sudden sluggishness to his movements. He felt himself pushing his full power, but his body was putting out less power than it should be. This became abundantly clear when he felt a spike embed itself in his side. 

Releasing a grunt of pain, Toshinori felt himself trip and had to force himself to land on his good side so as to avoid aggravating the spike further. His body slid for a few yards before he slammed into a wall. Toshinori reached for the spike, noting that it was, thankfully, not piercing anything too vital. At least he hoped.

_‘Okay, just gotta… can’t take it out or I’ll bleed to death. Just… break off the edges.’_ Toshinori reached for the ends of the spike, hands grasping firmly at the entry and exit points and preparing himself to break the two ends off. That was until a wave of pain and nausea washed over him as the spike began to move. 

Quickly, Toshinori’s body left the ground, his hands clamoring to hold on to the spike so his side would not be the sole bearer of his weight. The spike carried him slowly, excruciatingly over to All for One. 

“There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” All for One asked, mock concern in his voice. “Now, let’s see what we can do about that Quirk of yours.”

Toshinori adjusted his head to get a better look at his foe, looking slightly up at him as he was held aloft by the spike in his side. “It won’t work. You know One for All can’t be taken by force. You’ll have to kill me.”

“All in due time, All Might. But see, I have a theory. If I use my new ability to drain One for All of its strength, what is stopping me from ripping it out of you?”

“You-” Toshinori grunted as another spike ripped through his shoulder, the pair of spikes working in tandem to adjust him in the air so that he was upright. 

All for One smiled as Toshinori floated toward him, his hand outstretched and reaching for Toshinori’s neck. “There, there. It’ll be over before you know it. I am looking forward to seeing what Quirk you possessed beforehand.”

Icy fingers clasped firmly around Toshinori’s neck. Not firmly enough to strangle him, but firm enough so that he was able to feel a sort of chill begin to creep throughout his body. It started at his neck and started to slowly ebb its way through him. 

“That’s quite a lot of Quirks you have in there. I am grateful that my brother’s ability has accumulated so many for me.” 

Toshinori grasped desperately at All for One’s arm, ignoring the pain that came from his shoulder and side as he gripped as tight as he could. 

“Shh, none of that. You can feel it, can’t you? That fire inside you dying? Just let go and I promise to make your death quick.”

“No-” Toshinori gagged as he felt a pulse of pain from his abdomen. “No, you won’t.”

All for One shrugged. “Fair enough, you’ve got me there.”

The cold was reaching Toshinori’s chest and hope began to evaporate. It was hopeless, he… he had lost. He had failed.

Eyes screwed shut as Toshinori bit back tears. The image of Nana’s courageous last smile filled his vision. He was going to lose and he had never gotten the chance to pass One for All on. It was hopeless.

**_“Toshinori, remember what I taught you.”_ **

“Master?”

Blue eyes snapped open, flooded with renewed vigor as his grip tightened.

All for One had the nerve to smirk, a smirk that faded as the bones in his arm began to crack. “What are you-” the villain let out a grunt as a final snap crushed his forearm. His other hand clawed at Toshinori’s grip, trying to remove the massive hands from his arm that was trying desperately to knit itself back together but was unable to. “This- what is this, the final, desperate attempts to win? Can’t you see it? You’ve lost!”

Toshinori released his left hand and formed it into a fist. His mouth, which had been set into a grimace up until that point, turned up into a smile. “It’s not over yet!” With a tug, the flow of power stopped its forced evacuation into All for One’s hand and Toshinori focused all of it into his free arm. 

**_“Do it, Toshinori.”_ **

The hero pulled on All for One’s arm and drew himself in close, even as the villain attempted to pull away. 

“For my master.”

Deep inside of him, Toshinori felt the last few embers of One for All flare up, surging into his arm and swelling it in size. He cocked his arm back and saw the terror and confusion forming in All for One’s eyes.

**_“UNITED STATES-”_ **

“How!? I drained you, there isn’t anything left!?”

**_“-OF SMASH!”_ **

His arm surged forward, fist connecting full force with All for One’s face. He felt his skull shatter beneath his fist, cartilage and muscle break down and just as the full force of his punch connected with All for One’s skull, the villain was sent flying. A shockwave ripped through their battlefield, turning the surrounding rubble into dust.

There was a crash as All for One impacted the ground, creating a fresh crater where the villain lay motionless.

Toshinori fell face first into the dirt, the front ends of the spikes snapping off as he too slid for a bit with the excess release of power. The momentum carried him for a few extra feet before he came to a stop, unable to find the strength to slow himself prematurely.

The hero lay there for a few moments before, weakly, he used his right arm to push himself up into a sitting position. Toshinori glanced at his left arm and frowned at the bruised and bloody mess.

If he didn’t die of blood loss from the spikes, he was certain Recovery Girl was going to kill him.

“Right, on your feet, All Might,” he mumbled to himself as he slowly rose, every muscle in his body feeling like it was on fire as he did so. Arm dangling limply at his side, Toshinori managed to shuffle his way carefully over to the crater where All for One was still, hopefully, also quite damaged. 

Or dead, if he was lucky.

_“You_ **_idiot.”_ **

Not lucky, definitely not lucky.

Toshinori looked over the edge of the crater where he saw All for One’s body slowly attempting to knit itself back together.

_“All you’ve done is delay your death momentarily. You may have gotten one last sucker punch in but I felt it, you’re_ **_through._ ** _There is nothing left in you, you are powerless.”_

Toshinori shrugged. “Been there before. You know, I did say I’d tell you if you beat me and I guess, in a way, you did. So here’s the truth, All for One, before my master lifted me up and made me her successor, I was just a Quirkless boy. You may have taken One for All from me, but I won’t stop until you’re beaten for good.”

All for One’s laugh was haggard and raspy as he attempted to sit up, his face still a mess of torn, bruised skin. “And how do you intend to do that? You’re worthless now, a nobody! All Might is dea-” 

Lightning raced throughout All for One’s body, visibly shocking him thoroughly and cutting off his speech.

“What was that?” Toshinori muttered to himself as he took a few steps back.

All for One tried once again to get up, only for another jolt of electricity to course through him. This was followed by inky black tendrils that shot from him and bound him from head to toe. 

**_“Never again.”_ **

Toshinori faltered, looking all around for the source of the voice. Or… voices?

**_“Never again will you harm humanity.”_ **

All around All for One, misty forms began to materialize. Each of them glowed a slightly different hue as they circled the villain. White, blue, red, green, orange, purple, violet-

Toshinori faltered as his own body seemed to glow yellow, the light encapsulating him for a moment before shooting forward to join the other beings.

“What the-”

**_“The Eighth’s sacrifice will not be in vain.”_ **

All for One’s face, which had slowly been bubbling back into its former shape froze. “No, no, no, I killed you! I killed all of you!”

The white form stepped forward. **_“Brother, it’s over.”_ **

“No! No! **_NO!”_ **

The white form raised his hand, reaching toward All for One’s face and gently caressing his cheek. In an instant, All for One’s screams ceased and his body went limp. 

**_“The power you love so much, your connection to your Quirk, has been severed. Out of mercy, we do not take your life but no longer will you be able to terrorize the world.”_ **

**_“Toshi…”_ **

The hero gasped as the familiar voice of his mentor rang through the air. He collapsed to his knees as the violet aura approached him, its form solidifying slowly until the recognizable form of his mentor came into view. 

**_“Toshi, I’m so sorry.”_ **

“Master?” Toshinori choked out, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. “I’m sorry Master, One for All, it’s…”

**_“Toshi, I’m so proud of you. You fought with all you had. It’s over now, you won.”_ **

The man shook his head. “But my dream, the symbol-”

He felt a chill as a hand ghosted over his cheek. **_“You’ve done well. You’ve given heroes around the world a goal to aspire to and if I know you, you’ll do everything in your power to help the world even if you can’t be All Might anymore.”_ **

Toshinori leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as he nodded softly. “I promise.”

**_“That’s my boy.”_ ** Pride radiated in Nana’s voice as the chill faded. 

When Toshinori opened his eyes, the shades were gone.

He glanced down to where All for One lay limp, still breathing but otherwise motionless in the center of the crater.

“Goodbye, All for One,” he said, his voice soft. As he looked up to the sky, breathing deeply and feeling the sun warm his face, he smiled.

“And goodbye, One for All.”

* * *

Dave tapped his foot furiously on the floor of the car as it pulled up to the small hospital. As soon as he had gotten the call, he had boarded I-Island’s fastest jet and raced over to Japan. He didn’t believe it, _couldn’t_ believe it when he heard Toshinori’s weak voice explaining what had happened.

As the car pulled up to the curb, he undid his seatbelt and flew out of the door and into the hospital. 

He rushed to the reception desk when he heard a gruff voice call out to him. 

“You Dave Shield?”

The man whipped around to face the source of the voice, looking down at the wizened old man. “Y-yes?”

He nodded sharply. “Good, follow me. Toshi’s this way.”

“Is he alright?!” Dave surged forward, following behind the surprisingly speedy old man. “Where is he?”

The old man waved his hand. “Keep your shirt on, he’s doing alright but you need to cool it.”

Dave bit his cheek as he took a deep breath. “Right, sorry.”

The man shot a sympathetic look over his shoulder. “...Name’s Sorahiko. You can call me Sora.”

Dave blinked. “Right, Sora, and you can call me… Dave but I guess you knew that already.”

Sora grunted in response as they turned a corner where a lean man that Dave recognized as Toshi’s sidekick was sitting. 

“Mirai,” Sora called. “He’s here.”

Nighteye looked up, his eyes ringed with shadows. “Right.” He stood up slowly, extending a hand to Dave. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Shield. I am-”

“Sir Nighteye,” Dave finished, taking the man’s hand and shaking it firmly. “It’s an honor.”

The sidekick smiled grimly. “I wish it were under better circumstances. He’s through here.” Releasing the grip, Nighteye turned and opened the door for Dave. “Go ahead, he’s been expecting you.”

Dave took a steadying breath and walked through the door, expecting to see his muscle-bound best friend smiling at him. 

Instead, he was greeted by a significantly leaner shadow of the Toshinori he knew. His body was wrapped in bandages and his arm was set in a heavy looking cast.

“...Toshi?”

The blonde man grinned. “It’s good to see you, Dave.”

“Toshi, oh my god-” Dave nearly collapsed as he fell into the chair at his friend’s bedside. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Toshi assured. 

Outside, Dave heard Sora snort derisively.

“...Okay, I suppose it is pretty bad.”

Dave furrowed his brow. “What happened to you?”

“That… is a long story.” He sighed. “I have a lot to tell you, but most of it is… well… not public knowledge.”

The inventor nodded. “I’ve got time, tell me everything.”

Toshinori sighed heavily. “Well, to do that, I supposed I need to tell you about the villain All for One and his brother, the first wielder of a Quirk named One for All.”

* * *

Toshinori’s story went on and on, and by the time he had finished, the sun was already beginning to go down. 

“...Quirkless…” Dave muttered, still not believing what he was hearing. “You mean, he… he took it all away?”

“It’s not so bad, I’ve had a little time to think about it and… well… when I met my master, I wanted to be a symbol that would help the world feel safe. It was through her that I was given any power to begin with. I set out to become a hero but One for All’s purpose was always to defeat All for One. With him beaten, it’s… I suppose it’s served its purpose.”

Dave shook his head. “But you’re so much more than that to Japan- to the world!”

“I think the world will have to come to terms with the fact that All Might is gone. I’ve talked to some of the government bigwigs already. The official story is that All Might died fighting a villain that had the power to destroy all of Japan. There’ll be some kind of press conference on Monday.” He smiled. “Maybe they’ll make a statue or something, that’d be pretty cool.”

“How can you be so cavalier about this!?” Dave cried.

Toshinori turned his smile on Dave and suddenly the inventor felt guilty for his outburst.

“Dave… I was Quirkless before. Plus, I’m the first bearer of One for All to walk away from a fight with All for One. On top of that, he’s _beaten_ . It’s my hope that in time, someone else will step up to take my mantle as the Symbol of Peace. Hell, maybe if we’re lucky there’ll be some _ones_.”

Dave sat deeper into his chair, removing his glasses to knead the bridge of his nose. “I… suppose you’re right.”

“And that brings me to a proposition I have for you.”

Blinking, Dave put his glasses back on and sat back up. “Proposition?”

“How do you feel about starting our own support gear company?”

  
  



	2. Origins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s not a Batman story without a little tragedy

Toshinori smoothed out his suit, still unused to the feeling of a suit being slightly loose on him. It had taken a year of hard work, physical therapy, and counseling, but his body had leveled out at 250 pounds. He chuckled to himself, realizing he weighed under half what he used to. 

Recovery Girl called it “dumb luck” that All for One’s spikes had missed his major internal organs. He still had two gruesome scars from where the objects had pierced his body and even if he didn’t have full mobility back in his right shoulder, he had to agree with the older woman. 

He felt lucky to be alive. 

“Toshi.”

The former hero turned to face his best friend turned business partner. “Dave, what’s up?”

“Nothing, just wanted to check how you were doing?”

“Feeling good, are you heading out?”

Dave nodded. “Yeah, they’re airing the ceremony in a couple of hours.”

Toshinori chuckled. “All Might Memorial Park. I guess I should be happy they didn’t name a library after me or something.”

“Ha, well you haven’t seen the statue yet. Whoever sculpted you really went all in on their promise of it being ‘larger than life’.”

“Oh no, how tall?”

His friend shrugged noncommittally. “You know you could come and see for yourself.”

“Eh, I don’t know,” he replied, wrinkling his nose, “feels a little… masturbatory to attend my own park dedication ceremony.”

Dave waved him off. “Oh come on, with that haircut you’ll just be another freakishly tall face in the crowd.”

Toshinori ruffled his shorter locks self-consciously. “Melissa told me she likes the haircut.”

The other man laughed. “It’s a good look, very distinguished.”

“Maybe I’ll invest in some glasses, complete the look.”

Dave put his hand over his heart mockingly. “And steal my brand? I don’t think so.”

The two men laughed together before Dave walked forward and wrapped his friend in a hug. “Alright, well then Melissa can keep you company. She doesn’t want to go either.”

Toshinori patted his friend on the back before breaking the hug. “I’d be happy to.”

* * *

“Dang, Uncle Toshi, Dad wasn’t kidding about that statue,” Melissa commented with a slight giggle in her voice.

The former hero’s eyebrows were nearly in his hairline as the cameras panned over to the enormous statue of him in his Golden Age suit, holding his fist aloft in victory. It had to be at least fourteen? Fifteen stories tall? “Yeah… seems a bit… excessive, don’t you think?”

The teenager shrugged. “I dunno, the sculpture did a good job I think. Plus you deserve it.”

Toshinori smiled warmly, ruffling the girl’s hair affectionately. “Thanks, kiddo.”

“Oh!” Melissa squealed, reaching for the remote and turning up the volume. “There’s Dad!”

Sure enough, the form of Dave came on the screen, walking up to the podium with a somber look on his face. 

**“Thank you, people of Japan, for allowing me the opportunity to speak here today.”** Dave cleared his throat, adjusting the microphone before speaking again.  **“It has been a tough year for all of us without All Might in our lives. For those of us who knew him personally, it has been especially hard. All Might was my best friend, the godfather to my daughter, and the man who inspired me more than anyone else in the world. I know that last point is as true for all of you as it was for me. Even now, his legacy inspires me to be a better man than I was the day before. How can I be a better friend, a better father, a better inventor, a better person who my friend could be proud of.”**

In spite of himself, Toshinori sniffled as he felt a tear roll down his cheek. From her place beside him, also sniffling, Melissa took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

**“All Might was our symbol. A symbol of truth, justice, peace, and prosperity. To be in his presence was to know kindness and resolve personified. I firmly believe no one has exemplified what it truly means to be a hero more than him.”**

Dave took a moment, adjusting his glasses to blot some tears away with his handkerchief.

**“That being said, I knew my friend. I remember when he came to California with a dream, a dream to become a hero that people could trust, a hero that would inspire others to be better. I do not believe that his death should do anything to diminish that inspiration. I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would encourage each and every one of you, whether you hope to be a hero one day or not, to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. I promise I’m not all talk, either, because I’m here in part to announce how I plan to do my part to live up to that dream.”**

He reached down, pressing a button that prompted a large projector screen to rise from behind him. Emblazoned on the screen was a stylized shield that featured a familiar red, gold, and blue color scheme.

**“Shield Tech. A company I initiate in my friend’s honor to provide the best possible hero gear I can. I intend to provide today’s heroes with everything they need in order to keep our world safe. Beyond that, I have no plans to hoard our intellectual properties. Any support gear agency that wants to collaborate with us is not only welcomed, but encouraged. I do not start this company in the interest of getting rich. I know some may see this as an attempt to cash in on my friend’s death. For those of you who may doubt, I pledge now, in front of all of you, to work as hard as I can to serve the world and do my part to make it a safer place.**

**“I promise support to any hero who wants it, I pledge to provide as many jobs as I can to help employ even the most disadvantaged of our world’s populace, and what I hope will be a legacy All Might could be proud of. Thank you.”**

The crowd erupted into cheers, with the camera panning out to show their shining, emotional faces.

Toshinori wiped his own tears away as Melissa leaned in to wrap her second father figure into a hug.

“Did you like his speech, Uncle Toshi?” she asked.

The retired hero nodded, returning the hug as he smiled fondly at the screen. “I loved it.”

* * *

Izuku breathed deeply of the night air as he and his parents exited their train car in Musutafu. 

“I’m starving,” Hisashi complained looking around at some of the restaurants that were still open. “Do you think it’s too late to grab something before we head home?”

Inko, who was clinging to her husband’s arm and just happy to have her husband home for a few months while his company allowed him to take a sabbatical, nodded. “Of course, what about you, Izuku? Are you hungry?”

The boy shrugged. “Sure! Let’s get burgers!”

Hisashi chuckled, clapping his son gently on the shoulder. “Sounds good to me!” Leading the way, the father gestured toward an alley. “We can cut through there, right?”

Inko hummed. “I think so, but there are places closer to home that we can eat at, can’t we? Let’s get a car first.” 

Her husband blew a raspberry. “Honey, I’ve been hungry since the ceremony ended. Indulge me one burger?” He batted his eyelashes at his Inko, earning him a giggle from his son and wife.

“Oh alright,” Inko conceded with an eye roll. 

The small family turned toward the alley, walking in as the sounds of the train and the busy street became slightly muffled.

“So, Izuku, what’d you think of the ceremony?” Hisashi asked, turning toward his son.

The eleven year old smiled. “It was really cool! I liked what Mr. Shield said. I’m gonna do my part too!”

Inko and Hisashi shared a smile, unspoken pride palpable between them.

The warm feeling filled the air, surrounding the Midoriya family.

Then a shadow blocked the alley, a glint of light shimmering off the metallic hand of the man ahead of them. 

“Hey there, folks,” he said, his icy voice creating a chill that ran down Izuku’s spine.

Immediately, Hisashi put himself between the stranger and his family. “Evening, can we help you?”

The stranger smiled a jagged smile, his mouth all hard edges and malice that perverted the kind gesture into a threatening one. “As a matter of fact, I’m a little hard up for cash at the moment. I don’t suppose you kind folks could spare some?”

Hisashi put his hand behind his back, attempting to shoo his family away.

In a flash, the man’s metal hand morphed into a gun that was leveled at Hisashi’s chest. 

“Easy now. All I need is some money and we all get to go our separate ways.” 

Hisashi froze in place. “No need for that, sir, you can have my money, just let my family go and I’ll give you everything I have.”

The hammer on the back of the gun hand cocked back. “No funny business.”

Hisashi nodded, smiling kindly and looking back at Izuku and Inko. 

“Run.” 

In a flash, Hisashi whipped back around and unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth at the mugger. At that same moment, Inko picked Izuku up, turned around, and began sprinting out of the alley.

“Dad!” Izuku screamed as his mother carried him away as fast as she could. The young boy watched in horror as his father’s stream of fire began to peter out. This was followed by a glint of hatred and a raised arm from the mugger.

No sooner had Inko and Izuku turned the corner when a sound rang out, a sound that nearly stopped Izuku’s heart. 

The gunshot deafened Izuku, a ringing clung to his ears and numbing him to the world around him. 

He was vaguely aware of his mother screaming as she rushed them both back into the alley, the mugger nowhere to be seen, and Hisashi lying on the ground.

Izuku was set down, the preteen stumbling on his feet as his mother rushed to the limp form of his father. The ringing in his ears was like a roar as he saw Hisashi weakly reach for Inko’s hand and speak in a voice that was too soft for Izuku to hear. It wasn’t until Hisashi’s eyes caught Izuku’s, the once vibrant, intelligent eyes now faded and growing glassy, that Izuku heard again.

“Izuku,” his father coughed.

Like a spell had been lifted, a weight crushed Izuku’s heart as he stumbled to Hisashi on the ground. 

“Dad!” Izuku’s eyes widened as his father’s hand reached up to clasp his. Instead of the rough, warm hands he was used to, these felt… wrong. Clammy but covered in something warm and wet and… 

“You’re… bleeding.”

Hisashi nodded slowly, tilting his head toward Inko who was on the phone with someone. “Your mother is calling for help, everything is going to be alright, son.”

Izuku felt his stomach drop and his eyes begin to prickle. His head was spinning and the only thing keeping him rooted was the hand of his father. A hand that felt weaker than Izuku had ever felt it before. 

“Do you remember, Izuku?” Hisashi coughed, a wet, grating sound that only served to tighten Izuku’s grip. 

“Remember what, Dad?” he asked, voice not really sounding like his own. It sounded wobbly and hollow all at the same time.

Hisashi screwed his eyes shut, teeth grating as he winced hard at something. “W-when you were a bo-boy. You had just come home from the doctor. He told you that you were Quirkless.”

Izuku shook his head. Why was he bringing this up now? “Dad, what-”

“Your mother and I, we said we were sorry when you asked us if you could be a hero. I was thinking about it, during Mr. Shield’s speech-” another cough racked his body and a red spray escaped his lips, staining his teeth.

“Dad, stop, help is coming!”

Hisashi smiled at his son. “I think Mr. Shield is right, we can all do our part. And you can do yours Izuku. I’m so proud of you son, and if you want to be a hero, you do it. You find a way. Use that big brain of yours.” 

Izuku felt the dam inside him break as tears began flowing freely. “Dad, please, don’t talk like you’re going to…”

Inko knelt down, wrapping Izuku in her arms and putting a hand on her husband’s cheek. “Help is coming, hold on Honey, please hold on.”

“I love you both. So much.”

He coughed again, harder this time. 

“I love you too, Dad, please!”

Hisashi nodded and smiled once more before breaking out into a fresh fit of coughs. 

“I love you.”

* * *

An EKG beeping, the sounds of people talking, a man coughing, his mother sobbing. Izuku heard it all as he stared down at his feet in the hallway of the Emergency Room. Shortly after his last coughing fit and just before the ambulance arrived, Hisashi fell unconscious. 

The ride over to the Emergency Room in the policeman’s car had been agonizing, with Inko and Izuku being swept around from place to place before settling in this long, white hallway with loud, buzzing fluorescent lights that Izuku added to the list of things that he could hear.

All he cared about was what he couldn’t hear, and that was good news.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Midoriya, we did all we could.”

Izuku looked at his hand, still caked in the crevasses and folds with flecks of a rusty red. His head dropped and he pulled the blanket that had been given to him closer around him. He felt so cold, so empty.

It took a few moments longer of his mother wailing softly before she was gently guided over to Izuku’s side where she clung onto him and held on tight. The contact was warm and Izuku leaned into it, feeling his mother hold him close. 

He remembered a policeman kneeling down and telling him that a hero had heard the gunshot and apprehended the mugger a few blocks away from where Izuku and his family had been. 

In any other circumstance, Izuku might have been curious about which hero it had been, but at that moment all he could do was nod numbly as the officer praised his father for his bravery.

It was likely meant to be comforting but it did little to soothe the shock and pain that was permeating every fiber of Izuku’s tiny being. 

His father was…

Izuku felt tears fall in tandem with his mother, joining her sobs with his own as he clung back onto her as tightly as he could.

* * *

“If you ever need anything, Inko-” Mitsuki bit her lip, seemingly unable to find the words to comfort her friend. 

Masaru put a careful hand on Inko’s shoulder. “We’re here for you, you and Izuku.”

Inko nodded slowly and attempted a smile, only for it to falter as she choked back a sob. Mitsuki quickly pulled the other woman in for an embrace and massaged soothing circles into her back. 

Masaru turned, his face downcast as he scanned the crowd and spotted Izuku. The young boy was still sitting in the front row, staring at the photograph of his father that stood propped up with a wreath draped around it. 

The father looked around for his own son who was, surprisingly, approaching Izuku with a sorry expression on his face.

Katsuki walked over to Izuku carefully, his prickly exterior momentarily dropped as he struggled to come up with the words to say. 

“Hey, Kacchan,” Izuku greeted in a small voice.

“Hey, De-Izuku,” Katsuki replied, correcting himself before he used the customarily derogatory nickname. “How… are you doing?”

Izuku shrugged. 

Katsuki sighed. “Yeah.”

A silence fell between the two, Katsuki stuffing his hands in his pockets as he chose his words carefully. “Listen, Izuku. I know we aren’t…”

“It’s okay, Kacchan,” Izuku assured, “I know we haven’t been friends in a long time.”

Katsuki bit the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, well, what I was gonna say is… I give you a lot of shit and… look, I’m gonna lay off, okay?”

Izuku looked up and Katsuki didn’t recognize the broken, glassy eyes of the boy in front of him. “Huh?”

“Just… Look, you always used to piss me off with that whole wanting to be a hero bull-stuff you’d spout off. I’m not gonna get on your case about it anymore, alright?” Katsuki clenched his fists, resisting the urge to let off some explosions in his customary method of relieving tension. Not exactly a good idea to start sparking off at a funeral, his mother and father had been very clear,  _ annoyingly _ clear about that. He knew not to do that shit at a funera-

“It’s okay, Kacchan. I- thanks, though.” Izuku managed a smile but Katsuki could see it didn’t reach his eyes. “If it’s alright, could I be alone for a bit?”

Katsuki nodded sharply, having said his piece as best he could and left his former childhood friend alone again, ignoring the sobbing he could tell Izuku was doing his best to hide from everyone else as soon as he was a few feet away.

The blonde approached his parents who had just finished talking to Inko. Immediately Mitsuki pulled her son into a hug, planting a kiss on his head. 

“What’s that for,” he grumbled as he returned the hug.

“Just hush and let me hug you,” she shot back without any bite in her voice. 

Katsuki felt his father’s hand on his back, warming him and making him, at that moment, immensely grateful for his parents in a way he had never thought to be grateful for them before.

* * *

  
Izuku adjusted the straps of his backpack as he stepped off the bus in front of the skyscraper. The fifteen year old looked up at the Shield Tech tower in awe, ignoring the sounds of some of his classmates making jokes and laughing about the field trip.

He wouldn’t let anyone else spoil this trip for him and, zipping up his father’s jacket that was still a bit too big on him, he followed his teacher and classmates into the imposing building. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Hisashi.


	3. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting of worlds

“Here at Shield Tech, we pride ourselves in being the world leader when it comes to support technology for heroes internationally. Here on the first floor, you can see our mission statement; ‘to aid the next pillars of justice, whoever they may be’ as quoted by our CEO and founder, David Shield, not long after the unveiling of this building,’ the tour guide explained to the group of high schoolers. “Officially titled the All Might Memorial Tower, the Shield Tech building here in Musutafu was selected due to its proximity to All Might’s alma mater, University of Japan, Yuuei here in Musutafu.”

Izuku marveled at the holographic images that featured the various facilities around the world, usually sporting a brunette man in glasses that he recognized as David Shield shaking someone’s hand. He followed the guide through the foyer, just a few steps behind his teacher as the guide led all of them down a long hallway.

“Our founder, David Shield, was a close personal friend of All Might’s, as seen here in this photo.” The tour guide gestured to an image at the end of the hall. On it, Izuku recognized a young All Might standing in his young age suit next to a long haired brunette man in a lab coat. “Here, at Dr. Shield’s original laboratory in southern California, the first of All Might’s costumes was made. This was also the ‘home base’ of sorts for the two friends while All Might was living in America.”

“Wow,” Izuku muttered to himself as he drank in the image. All Might always seemed so larger in life, likely due in part to the enormous statues that were erected in his honor following his death. But here he just seemed so human, arm draped around a couple of scientists who were all smiling happily along with him. He couldn’t help but smile too in response. Even in death, All Might was still his favorite hero.

“Now, if you’ll follow me, we need to take the elevators to our next destination.”

Izuku turned away from the photo and made to follow, only to be shoulder checked by one of his classmates. The green-haired boy let out a grunt of surprise as a couple of his classmates shoved past him. 

“Oh, sorry there Midoriya, didn’t see you,” One of them said in a low, mocking tone. “Better watch yourself, wouldn’t want you to get knocked over.”

Izuku resisted the urge to furrow his brow, not really wanting to deal with the response that he would likely receive. He stood back, letting his classmates pass him so as to put as much distance between himself and the small group as possible, only moving when Katsuki passed him. The blonde walked by without sparing him a glance and took his place on the elevator as well.

There was a time where Katsuki likely would have been hanging out with the group of boys that liked to tease Izuku, calling him Deku if he reacted in any way and giving him a threatening look. 

Times changed, though, and Katsuki had more or less just stopped interacting with Izuku altogether following the funeral. A part of him still wished that he and Katuski could be friends again, but after realizing how much more comfortable and less afraid Izuku felt at school even just being in Katsuki’s presence made him realize that this new sort of avoidance was as close to a normal relationship as he cared to have anymore with his former childhood friend.

Suppressing a melancholy smile, Izuku boarded the elevator last.

* * *

Toshinori groaned, stretching back and feeling a satisfying pop in his lower back. Being the vice president of a major multinational corporation had turned out to be a lot more work than he had originally bargained for. 

He took a sip from his ‘#1 Hero’ mug that Melissa had gotten him for his last birthday, face wrinkling in disgust at the room temperature coffee that hit his tongue.

“You alright there, Uncle Toshi?” Melissa asked from her desk in the same office. It wasn’t nearly as cluttered as the other two in the office that was reserved for Toshinori and Dave, but she seemed to be catching up today judging by the fresh stack of blueprints on the corner. 

The retired hero nodded, standing up and yawning. “Just need to stretch my legs, this paperwork is getting to me. You know it’s bad when you start thinking about how much you miss getting tossed around by giant villains.” He smiled at the young woman. “What do you have there?”

Melissa gestured to the stack of papers. “Just going through some of R&D’s newest designs. This one seems promising,” she said, handing Toshinori the blueprint set aside on the other side of her desk.

The older man squinted and fumbled briefly for his reading glasses before scanning over the document. Most of it was still nonsense to him, but he was learning thanks in no small part to Melissa’s help. 

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

“If I’m reading this right,” he started slowly, “this is meant to be a… hover tech engine?”

Melissa shrugged. “Close enough.”

“But… haven’t we already seen something like that before?”

“Well, almost,” Melissa responded, “this has a lot of the same properties but on a much larger scale. It’s a clean-burning engine connected to a series of thrusters that could be modified to travel at any speed. If the projections are correct you could get up to Mach 3 with this thing.”

Toshinori blew a raspberry. “Please, I used to be able to jump faster than that.”

Melissa rolled her eyes, snatching the paper back. “Anything you say, _All Might.”_

“What, I could!” Toshinori protested.

“Well, why don’t you Mach 3 out of here and go scrounge up some more coffee.” She squinted at his face. “Or maybe a nap, you look exhausted.”

“Yeah, yeah. When did you become the adult?”

The young woman shrugged. “When you and Dad insisted on continuing to act like children running a big company. Someone has to be in charge here.”

Already halfway out the door, Toshinori waved halfheartedly. “So you like to remind us.” 

Now in the hallway, Toshinori began walking slowly toward that floor’s break room. He and Dave had decided in the beginning not to get too big for their britches, a turn of phrase that Melissa loved teasing the two for, but one that was accurate. Their office was large, but it was shared and it existed on the same floor as many of the more veteran inventors that Dave had recruited since founding the company. Not to mention a world-class lounge with the best coffee makers Toshinori could find. 

The tall man nearly entered the lounge area when he heard a voice projecting clearly and coming from somewhere down the hall

“Here in the executive wing is where all of our major company decisions occur. Just down the hall here are the offices of not only our chief scientists but our company founders!”

Toshinori’s ears pricked up and he fed his newfound curiosity as he followed the source of the voice. He walked down the long hallway, taking care to not make too much noise so as to not disrupt whatever was going on. 

Peering around the corner upon coming to the end of the hall, Toshinori hazarded a peek, seeing a group of high schoolers all gathered around a woman he recognized as one of their building’s tour guides-Yua, if memory served.

The young woman was smiling a megawatt smile, her charisma radiating into the room. That presence was what made her such a fantastic tour guide. Her eyes flitted over Toshi and he saw her eyes widen slightly.

He quickly shook his head, putting a finger up to his lips in a gesture that he hoped conveyed that he was not there to interrupt.

Being the consummate professional that she was, Yua flowed directly back into her presentation, regaling the high schoolers with some second hand anecdotes of Toshinori and Dave’s early days in America. 

Toshinori leaned back against the wall, letting some of the nostalgia flow over him as the screen above Yua showed an old photo of him and Dave standing in front of the red car that the duo used to jet around in.

He sighed quietly, shutting his eyes and savoring the memory. A small smile formed on his face, a smile that all but evaporated when he opened his eyes and witnessed the small event occurring on the fringes of the tour group. 

Specifically just out of the sight of the chaperone, where a couple of boys seemed to be taking turns shoving their shoulders into a skinny young man with green hair.

Irritation burned in Toshinori’s chest and a familiar feeling crept into his heart as his feet started moving before he could stop himself. He walked forward and, using his rather impressive height, loomed over the trio of boys. 

The two on either side of their victim stopped immediately upon spotting the new shadow hovering over them so there Toshinori stayed until Yua was done with her spiel for the area and prompted the group to move on to the next area down the hall and she would catch up in just a moment. Her eyes locked onto Toshinori and she immediately moved to meet up with him. 

Toshinori set a hand on the green haired boy’s shoulder gently and let the two boys quickly run off with the rest of the group. 

“Yua, if you don’t mind I was hoping to chat with this young man for a moment.”

The young woman shook her head. “No problem, Mr. Yagi! I’ll let his teacher know.” She shot her boss and the young man a smile before speed walking to catch up with her group.

Once the entirety of the class was out of earshot, Toshinori addressed the boy who had-although he had relaxed somewhat-had remained entirely still since Toshinori had arrived.

“Are you alright, young man?” he asked in a low voice, moving around the boy to meet his gaze. 

Toshinori got a good look at the kid as he nodded slowly. His green hair sat on his head like a tangled mop, freckles scattered across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, and a pair of bright green eyes that were looking up at him curiously. He couldn’t be much older than fifteen or sixteen, but with his face maybe younger? “Y-yeah. You didn’t have to do that, they usually lose interest after a while when I don’t give a reaction.”

“And this is a regular occurrence?” 

The boy shrugged. “No, not usually. I guess they were just getting bored.”

Huffing, Toshinori frowned. “Well, I’ll be having a discussion with your teacher-”

“No, no,” the boy cut him off. “That’ll only egg them on. I promise they hardly ever bug me and I can handle it myself, Mister…” 

“Yagi, Toshinori Yagi.” He smiled. 

The kid managed a small smile back. “Izuku Midoriya. Wait-” his eyes widened as he realized something. “You’re…”

“The vice president of Shield Technologies? It’s nice to meet you, Young Midoriya.”

Izuku gaped at the man before him, his whole body tensing before quickly dropping into a bow. “I’m so sorry! She even said your name before and I missed it. Please forgive my rudeness, sir!”

Toshinori laughed in spite of himself, the sudden shift in demeanor breaking the tension of the moment. “No need for that, young man. Dave has always been the face of the company, I’m impressed you knew who I was by name.”

“I’m just a big fan, sir, of your whole company and what you do.” 

He arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Well, that’s very kind of you, thank you.” He paused. “Say, how would you like a tour of some of the behind the scenes workings of this company?”

It took only a moment for Izuku to register what he was being offered before he broke out into a large grin with stars in his eyes. “Would I!?”

* * *

“So I have it on good faith that this is the next big advancement in…” he focused on the clipboard that one of the scientists had helpfully given him upon request. “‘Shock absorbing… _magnetore-’”_

“Magnorhetorical fluid? Isn’t that kind of old school?” Izuku asked before seeming to choke on air. “I mean, that’s, er, I-”

A soft giggle came from the entrance to the lab, a young woman walking in. “Normally yes, but when it’s sandwiched between two layers of titanium dipped tri-weave mesh, it makes for a powerful shock absorbing material. When put to the test, it’s built to tank a hit from even the strongest of enhancement types.”

Toshinori and Izuku both turned, the older of the two breaking out into a grin. “Oh good, now you’re here to prove to this young man that I have no idea what I’m talking about.”

“Me? Knowing more than you? Sounds fake,” she replied sarcastically, walking forward to bridge the gap between them. “Who’s this?”

“Ah, well, this is Izuku Midoriya. I found him being distracted by some of his classmates during his field trip so I thought I’d give him a tour for a bit. Young Midoriya, this is Melissa, Dave’s daughter and person most likely to render me obsolete once she graduates from university in a couple of years.”

Melissa giggled. “Ah stop, I’m pretty sure I can only do so much poking fun at you before I feel guilty.” She nodded toward Izuku. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The boy blinked rapidly before bowing quickly. “Y-you too! It’s an honor!”

“Oh, found a polite one. Well, I’ll let you boys get back to it, I was just checking up on Uncle Toshi but I can see he’s in good hands.” With a wave and another smile, she left the lab and presumably made her way back up to the labs.

Toshinori sighed fondly. “She’s a good one.”

“Y-yeah,” Izuku mumbled. “She seems really smart.”

“She sure is, takes after her old man. I swear she’s been on the support tech track since she could learn to pick up a set of tools.”

The young man sighed. “That’s really cool, I feel like everyone I know wants to go into being a hero.”

There was a hint of longing in Izuku’s voice that sparked up a wave of nostalgia in Toshinori the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in some time. “You don’t say? And what about you? Are you interested in being a hero as well?”

Toshinori regretted the question immediately as something shifted in Izuku, as if he had just broken a bit inside. “I… yeah. I guess I’ve always wanted to be a hero. Like All Might was, you know?”

“I do.” _‘More than you know, kid.’_

“Only, uh, I guess I’m trying to be more realistic. Can’t really be a hero without a Quirk, you know?” Izuku smiled at the man but he could tell it was forced, his eyes shining like stained glass. 

Toshinori swallowed hard, a distant memory of a familiar conversation he himself had gone through with his mentor. “I suppose you’re right. Still, being Quirkless isn’t so bad, is it? Take Young Melissa for example, heck, look at me.”

“Y-you?” Izuku’s face fell as the facade seemed to crumble, genuine emotion flooding the rest of his face to match his eyes. “I’ve never met another…”

He nodded knowingly. “Funny how just a couple centuries ago Quirks were the thing of fantasy and now it’s the people without superpowers that are the oddity.” Chuckling, he carefully set a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, trying to offer some small comfort to the boy.

“Is this… what you always dreamt of being?” he asked in a small voice.

“Well, if I’m being honest, you and I have a lot in common. When I was your age I wanted to be a hero too. But… Well… Things happened and I wasn’t able to achieve my dream in the end, at least not directly.”

Izuku tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when I… _met_ Dave and he told me about his idea for Shield Tech, I got in on the ground floor. I made a decent amount of money in my life, better than most I’d say, and I was able to help fund the creation of this company that now provides help to those who save lives. I guess, in a way, I feel like I’m doing my part by helping heroes help others.”

The boy nodded slowly, his face shifting. “Huh, I guess you’re right…”

“And then there’re people like Melissa. That girl is going to bring about a revolution in the way we create hero tech. With her around to create technology for the heroes, villains are going to have an even harder time keeping up than they are now.” He looked at Izuku, who suddenly seemed lost in thought and an impulse washed over him, one that was quickly forming into an idea. “Say, have you ever given support technology a thought?”

The boy blinked. “Me? I… I guess not.”

“You see, that’s a shame. You seem like a smart young man. You knew what that magnowhozit was and seemed to understand how it worked without needing me to try and fumble my way through an explanation.”

Izuku blushed a bit. “Well, I guess so, but that’s-” 

“That’s something. More than that, I may not know you very well yet, but I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character and you… well… you seem like a bright and kind person. See, Shield Tech offers mentorships to bright young minds like yours and it just so happens that we have a few openings at this facility. I could pull a few strings, no pressure at all. If you find you don’t like it,” he wiped his hands with a short gesture, “then you can back out, no sweat.” 

“You really mean it?”

Toshinori nodded. “I do. I appreciate your heart and your honesty with me so far. Maybe I’m just projecting but you remind me of someone close to me and I’d like to help you out, just like he was helped.”

A silence fell between the two as Izuku seemed to struggle with comprehending the course of events that had just transpired. 

“W-what would this mentorship be?” he asked after a time. 

Toshinori grinned in spite of himself. “Well, that’s up to you. Most people go the support technician route. But if I’m way off base and that doesn’t interest you, we also offer programs for just about any career path you can think of. If it interests you, we can likely find someone to help mentor you.”

Another silence fell as Izuku put his fingers up to his lower lip, tugging on it gently and he started muttering softly under his breath. Toshinori stifled a laugh at the scrunched expression on the boy’s face and waited patiently. 

“Can I… talk to my mom?” he asked, finally speaking up.

“Of course!” Toshinori boomed, quickly reaching into his pocket and fishing out a business card and his pen. He flipped it over and scribbled down an extension number on the back. “This here is my office number and my personal extension so you don’t get stuck in the waiting room of my professional calls. Give me a call either way and let me know how you’ve decided.” 

Handing the card over to the boy, he watched as Izuku marveled at the piece of paper before stuffing it into his pocket. “Thank you, Mr. Yagi. I- Well, I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem, my boy. You’ve been an excellent guest at our facility and I’ve very much enjoyed chatting with you. Now, let’s see here…” he glanced at his watch, noting the time. “Oh geez, look at the time. Groups usually finish up around three, which means we don’t have much time to get back to the entrance. Come on, follow me, we can take the express elevator!”

Quickly jogging out of the room with Izuku in tow, Toshinori felt an odd sort of kinship with the young man forming. Whatever the boy decided, he knew he would likely think back on this day for some time to come.

* * *

“So,” Melissa drawled as Toshinori returned from dropping Izuku off with his class and bidding him farewell, “you gonna tell me what that was about?”

Dave yawned from his desk. “Huh? About who what?”

“Not you, Daddy, Uncle Toshi picked up a stray today.”

The brunette man nodded sleepily. “Well, I guess we can puppy proof the office-”

Melissa snorted. “No, oh my god, you need to stop pulling these back to back meetings with clients. Just,” she gestured to Toshinori, “explain.”

Toshinori sighed. “I overheard a tour group down the hall and when I went to investigate, I saw some boys ganging up on their classmate. I intervened and decided to show the kid around the facility myself. His name is Izuku Midoriya, a good young man.” He paused, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I _may_ have offered him a spot in our mentorship program.”

“On the spot?” Dave blinked. “Wow, he must have made an impression.”

Melissa nodded fervently. “Yeah, that’s, huh, he seemed pretty polite. Is he interested in support tech?”

“Well, he’d never really given it much thought but… If I’m being honest he reminded me of myself at his age. Him telling me he had always wanted to be a hero as a boy despite being Quirkless just… reminded me of a conversation I had with Nana years ago before she passed One for All down to me.”

Dave seemed to wake up almost immediately. “That’s some pretty high praise coming from you, Toshi.”

“Yeah, well, who even knows if he’ll accept. I just… want to help him, I suppose. Give him some sort of path that will make him feel fulfilled. Being a hero without a Quirk is nigh impossible, I know that better than most, but maybe if he can help people in other ways he can find happiness. There was something broken in him and I guess even now I can’t help myself.”

Melissa walked up and wrapped her arms around the man. “You’re still a hero to us, Uncle Toshi.”

He patted the young woman’s head affectionately before leaning down and planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Thank you, my dear.”

“Whatever he decides,” Dave started, “let him know he’s always welcome to come and visit any time he likes. I wish I had gotten to meet him too.”

Toshinori chuckled. “Something tells me that coming from you, that might make his whole year.”

* * *

Staring at his phone, Toshinori rolled his neck and groaned. He was almost to the end of his official office hours and he still hadn’t heard from Izuku. It was embarrassing to say he was waiting on the call still. Melissa and Dave had already taken off for the evening, driving back to the large house the three of them shared, telling him not to hang around too long or he’d miss dinner. 

With a groan, he got up, stretching his limbs and taking extra care to stretch slowly around the damaged sections in his shoulder and abdomen. Even these few years on, he had to take it slow so as to not aggravate the scar tissue and end up with inflamed muscles for the rest of the day. 

Just as he let out a contented sigh and he started to consider packing it up for the night, the phone rang.

Toshinori immediately scrambled for it, picking it up and clearing his throat. “This is Toshinori Yagi, how may I help you?”

_“Um, Mr. Yagi? Th-this is Izuku Midoriya. I was calling back to get back to you about earlier today? The-the offer?”_

“Yes, my boy, it’s good to hear from you! Have you made a decision?”

_“Yes sir, it’s just that… well… money is kind of tight in my house so I was wondering if… I’m sorry, I should just-”_

Toshinori felt a wave of sympathy crash into him. “Of course, part of your mentorship would entail a scholarship that would cover any and all expenses, whether they be travel, food, accommodations. Whatever you need. Does that help ease your mind?”

Izuku’s voice immediately lifted. _“Holy woah, uh, yeah sir! Um, in that case, I’d be honored to take you up on your offer!”_

He resisted the urge to pump his fist. “Fantastic, Young Midoriya! Tell you what, let me grab a pen, what’s an email I can reach you at with to hammer out the details?”

_“Er, uh… I guess my school email?”_ Izuku briefly spelled out his address so that Toshinori could write it down properly. _“Does that work?”_

“That is perfect,” he assured as he jotted the address down. “I’ll shoot you an email tomorrow and we can figure things out from there. I look forward to having you around, young man!”

_“Thank you, sir! I should, um, I guess get going now. I should help my mom with dinner.”_

Toshinori laughed. “Yes, of course, you go ahead. We’ll talk more over email. You have a good evening, Midoriya.”

_“Thank you, sir, you too!”_

After a short pause, Toshinori hung up the line. Looking at the address on the paper, he allowed himself one fist pump before grabbing his coat and jogging out the door to tell Dave and Melissa the good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, things are coming along. Hope you all are enjoying


	4. The Mechanic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku starts his internship at Shield Tech

“Izuku, honey? Are you almost ready? The car will be here any minute to come pick you up!”

“Almost!” the young man grunted, fumbling with his tie again to no avail. It had been a bit of a last-minute dash to find some slacks and a shirt to fit his rapidly growing frame. It felt like every couple of months he hit another growth spurt. His mother assured him that he would level out soon if he were anything like his father, but that still put him at roughly six feet tall. 

His father...

Izuku ran his thumb along the fabric of the tie he was trying and failing to form into a knot. It had been one of his father’s. This particular tie had been his mom’s idea, a sort of good luck charm, and a reminder that his dad was watching over him. 

The forest green tweed took Izuku back and he could almost hear his father’s voice, smell his aftershave. 

_“I’ll make you proud, Dad.”_

Two knocks on his door tore him from his memories. “Izuku?”

“Sorry, Mom,” he replied, opening the door for her. “Can’t figure the dang tie out.”

Inko put her hands in front of her mouth, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She had changed so much since that day. After he had been diagnosed as Quirkless, she had started putting on weight but that all stopped after they lost Hisashi. Eating became a challenge for them both and it had taken months of therapy for the pair of them to get back into any sort of semblance of normalcy. Now the Inko that stood before him looked not dissimilar to how she had looked during his early childhood, just more lined, with worry creases on her forehead and more than a few strands of silver in the otherwise forest green waves of hair on her head. 

“You’re so handsome, my little boy. Oh, here, let me pull up a video, we should still have some time.” She quickly bustled over to the computer in Izuku’s room, waking it up and finding a tutorial video on tying a tie. 

A few fumbled tries later and they had managed to tie it into some sort of a half Windsor, as the video called it, though it was still just a bit too short. 

“Oh that’s close enough,” Inko sighed, patting her son on the cheek and smoothing out the shoulders of his dress shirt. She reached behind Izuku, grabbing a coat off of his door and opening it so that the boy could slip his arms inside. Once comfortably bundled, he turned to face his mother.

“How do I look?” he asked, a bit unsure of himself.

She smiled, reaching forward and pulling him into a hug. “You look like your father. Oh, Izuku, he would be so proud of you.”

He returned the gesture, his own eyes starting to tear up. “Thanks, Mom.”

It had been an emotional evening, to say the least when Izuku came home with the business card from the vice president of Shield Tech offering Izuku a personalized mentorship. Of course, there had been tears and hugs and praise, but also the looming concern about money. Inko already worked hard to support her son on the money she made combined with the life insurance money they had received following Hisashi’s death. But still, even on that, it was hard for a single mother and Izuku knew it. Their small apartment was in the safest neighborhood they could afford that was still in Musutafu, it was a bit smaller than the one Izuku had grown up in, but at least it allowed his mother some peace of mind. 

To say it had taken a weight off their minds when Toshinori had assured them that money would not be a concern would be an understatement.

The two held the embrace until a measured ringing on the doorbell caught both of their attention. 

“Oh!” Inko squeaked, “That must be them! Do you have everything? I’m so glad they were able to schedule your first day for a Sunday so you wouldn’t have to worry about getting there from school.”

Helping him gather his bag on her way to the front of their small apartment, Inko answered the door. On the other side stood a woman who looked to be roughly in her early thirties. Sunkissed skin and hair the same deep blue as the ocean. 

Immediately her face broke out into a smile. “Hi! You must be Mrs. Midoriya! I’m Rui, Rui Soda, I’m here for Izuku?”

“That’s me!” Izuku chimed from his room where he had finished packing his notebook. “Sorry, I’m here!”

Rui shrugged. “No worries! Ready to get going?”

“Yeah! Um, I guess I’ll see you later, Mom.” Izuku leaned in, pecking his mother on the cheek.

The woman in the doorway nodded. “He’s in good hands, Mrs. Midoriya!”

Inko nodded shakily. “You be safe, Izuku. I’ll have dinner ready for you when you get home!”

“Looking forward to it!”

His mother waved at them from the doorway until Izuku slid into the passenger seat of the black sedan and the car pulled out of their parking lot.

“Your mom seems like a cool lady,” Rui said after a moment.

Izuku nodded fervently. “Yeah, she’s the best.”

* * *

Somehow the massive Shield Tech building was even more imposing that day than it had on the day of his field trip. It had to be well over one hundred stories tall and suddenly Izuku felt very, very small.

“Um, Midoriya?” Rui asked from inside the car. “You gonna go in?”

Izuku nodded shakily. “Y-yeah, I’m just-”

The driver laughed melodically. “Relax, kiddo. Everyone there is friendly, trust me. Now get a move on, you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, I’m sure.”

Gulping and straightening his tie as best he could, Izuku pushed on the massive doors and stepped into the lobby. He glanced around at the various screens that showed various pro heroes using Shield Tech equipment in between the massive pillars of marble that gave the lobby a larger than life feel. It was akin to entering a temple and he felt somehow even smaller.

“Midoriya?” A rough voice called out from behind the desk. “Are you Izuku Midoriya?”

The boy needed a second to register that he was, in fact, Izuku Midoriya, before he nodded. 

The owner of the rough voice stood up, smoothing out his red tie, and approached Izuku. “Call me Obi, I’m here to get you your ID badge. If you’ll follow me?”

“R-right,” Izuku managed, wondering if the man was a secretary or a hitman with his intense stare and bald head. 

With some trepidation, Izuku followed along behind Obi as the taller man took him into a security room. Once inside, he was asked to sit down and wait as Obi took a photograph and printed an ID badge.

“Nervous?” he asked as he waved the freshly printed ID badge for a moment to cool it off before attaching it to a clip that Izuku could pin to his shirt.

Izuku grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, a bit.”

“Don’t be, you’re in good hands here.”

* * *

Izuku did not feel like he was in good hands as he approached the lab and could only hear the heavy, slightly synthesized metal blasting from just behind the doors. 

“And this is where Mr. Yagi is?” he asked sheepishly.

Obi chuckled. “Nah, he and Mr. Shield are still in a meeting. You can wait here with Miss Shield, though.”

The door slid open and Izuku felt like he just got slapped in the face with the wall of sound that assaulted him. 

“Are you sure!?” he asked, having to raise his voice to be heard.

Smiling and nodding, Obi ushered Izuku into the room. Rows and rows of shelves holding a menagerie of scrap metal, diodes, gears, and just about anything Izuku could conceive of with plenty he couldn’t as the room seemed to stretch around him like a maze. Its only saving grace was the fact that there was some natural light flooding in from behind a few large storage shelves. The bald man looked around for a moment until he found a remote sitting on a workbench. After some quick fiddling, he was able to lower the volume enough to where Izuku could hear himself think again.

At once, from around a corner popped a blonde head of hair. “Oh! Obi!”

“Hey Miss Shield,” Obi replied. “Sorry, couldn’t hear ourselves.”

The young woman nodded with a knowing grin, stepping out into view. She was dressed in a burgundy jumpsuit and had her hair tied up with a bandana. “Yeah, I get it. It gets pretty loud in here, but it reminds me of the shop on I-Island so I guess it just becomes good white noise to work to.”

Melissa turned to Izuku and shot him a wink. “I was happy to hear you took Uncle Toshi up on his offer. He seemed really excited about you after the other day.”

“Do you mind watching him until Yagi and your father get back?” Obi asked.

Giggling, Melissa nodded. “You make it sound like I’m babysitting him. You’re what, fourteen? Sixteen?” 

Izuku cleared his throat. “Fifteen.”

“So just three years younger than me. But yes, of course, he can hang out here. Thanks, Obi.”

The security officer smiled warmly at Melissa and offered Izuku a nod as well before departing, leaving Izuku and the heiress to a multi-billion dollar company alone together.

Then it hit Izuku. 

Crippling social anxiety in the wake of a person who was not only rich and famous but who he knew to be a genius. She was as intimidating now as she had been the other day when she had approached him and Mr. Yagi. Then, she was just a gorgeous, older, American girl.

_Now_ she was a gorgeous, older, American girl _on top_ of everything else.

“Um, you alright there, Midoriya? Or is it alright if I call you Izuku? I don’t wanna be disrespectful. You can call me Melissa, of course!”

Izuku ruffled his hair nervously. “Um, Izuku is fine with me, I guess.”

The blonde clapped her hands together. “Great! So with today being your first day, I know Uncle Toshi was planning on you just sort of seeing how Shield Tech works. I guess to start with I can show you a bit about what I do here.”

“O-oh! Yeah! I’d love that,” Izuku replied. 

“Cool!” Melissa chirped. “Follow me, then.” The young woman turned on her heel, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit and led Izuku deeper into the workshop. She navigated the shelves effortlessly before stepping into a more open area in the shop. A large wall stood on one end, sporting various tools that were hung on display for ease of access. In the center of the open area was a large table on wheels that Izuku assumed Melissa could move around. Scattered around the perimeter though, was where Izuku found himself most awestruck.

Power suits and gauntlets, helmets and goggles, jet packs, jet boots, grappling guns; everywhere he looked, there was support gear. 

“So, this is my personal space. We have labs for each of the senior inventors that make this one look tiny and a few ones bigger than those that are for the teams we have. I guess being the president’s daughter does come with some perks, though. I get my own nepotism lab! Sorry it’s so messy, though.”

Izuku took a moment to drink it all in. “...You invented all of this?”

Melissa nodded fervently. “Yeah! Do… you want to check them out?”

“Do…” Izuku paused before a broad, ecstatic smile broke out across his face. “Do I!?”

* * *

“God, I thought he’d never shut up,” Dave lamented. “Hiroto really doesn’t know how to keep things concise, does he?”

Toshinori shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. “No, he definitely does not. I feel bad, I couldn’t focus at all.”

“Too focused on your new ward?” 

The blonde man spluttered. “He’s not my ward, Dave. Honestly.”

“Could’ve fooled me, you’ve had the look of an expectant father all day.”

Loosening his tie, Toshinori sighed. “I just feel bad abandoning him on his first day.”

Dave shrugged. “You know he’s in capable hands.”

“Oh, I would trust Melissa with my life, but I still feel guilty for not being there to greet him.”

The two men shared a quiet chuckle and made their way down from the stuffy conference rooms to the more eclectic work labs that composed most of the middle floors in their business tower. Melissa had earned her own workshop some time ago and the trek down to it had become a normal part of the two businessmen’s days. 

Stepping onboard the elevator and waiting the extra minute or two in silence gave Toshinori a moment to collect his thoughts. He figured they’d start in the inventions department, then maybe move up to administration or marketing. Although, he was certain Melissa had already given Izuku a thorough tour of Research and Development so maybe he could just jump into the rest of his tour?

The din of workmanship filled his ears as the elevator doors opened and Toshinori stepped out of the elevator alongside Dave. 

“Ah, here we are,” the American noted as they approached Melissa shop doors. “Here’s hoping the poor kid isn’t too overwhelmed.”

Whatever Toshinori had been expecting when he and Dave opened the shop doors, it certainly hadn’t been the sight of Izuku-having shed his jacket and tie with his sleeves rolled up-arm deep in the chassis of a piece of machinery with a large grin on his face with Melissa standing over him wearing a matching smile. 

The young blonde woman looked up. “Oh! Hey Dad, Uncle Toshi! It’s about time you two got finished.”

Izuku tore his gaze away from whatever he was fiddling with, quickly removing his arm and wiping oil off on a towel that sat on a nearby bench. 

“You two holding up alright? I’m terribly sorry, Midoriya, I honestly wasn’t expecting that meeting to go so long.” Toshinori wrung his hands, an apologetic smile on his face.

The young boy nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, great actually! Melissa was just explaining how the wiring in this chest piece works.”

Dave chuckled. “My girl does prefer to learn by doing. It’s nice to finally meet you, Midoriya. I’m-”

Izuku shot up, quickly bowing. “You’re David Shield! It’s an honor to meet you, Sir!”

“Likewise!” Dave shot back. “No need for the formalities, call me Dave, alright?”

The boy faltered for a moment before relaxing and nodding. “R-right.”

“So, Midoriya!” Toshi started. “I trust Melissa gave you a proper introduction into R&D. Care to check out the rest of the departments Shield Tech has to offer?”

“Er, actually, sir,” Izuku interjected. “I think I’ve already decided.”

Melissa smiled broadly at the boy next to her.

“I think creating support technology is going to suit me really well.”

* * *

Melissa grabbed Toshi’s arm as her father looked over the notes in some notebook that Izuku had produced.

“You work fast,” her ‘uncle’ noted. 

She shook her head. “I hardly did anything. I just showed him the projects I was working on and he must have come up with about a dozen heroes that each piece of tech could work for.”

“So you think this will be a good fit for him?” Toshi asked earnestly. 

Melissa laughed dryly. “Uh, yeah. One hundred percent.”

“...have been looking into adapting something like that for footwear.”

Izuku began furiously scribbling something down in his notebook. “Someone like Miruko could probably get a lot of use out of it, don’t you think?”

“I absolutely agree. Though, why stop there? If we reinforce all the major joints...” Dave put his hand to his chin, scratching his beard as he thought

“Ooh!” Izuku gasped. “That would be incredible! It’d give non-power types a way to hold their own against stronger villains!”

Dave turned to Melissa and Toshi. “I like him, he’s fun.”

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Izuku muttered out a small “Thanks.”

“That notebook of yours is impressive,” Melissa noted. “I can’t believe that you’ve never considered support tech before with the way you pay attention to how Quirks work.”

Izuku’s face fell slightly before he seemed to perk back up at the compliment. “Thanks, I guess I uh, hadn’t considered it that way before.” He paused for a moment before smiling. “I think you’re right, though. And I’m eager to learn everything I can!”

Melissa clapped her hands together. “Awesome! You can share my lab! Let’s get to work!”

* * *

Izuku dove into the work with a fervor that he hadn’t experienced in a long time. It felt good, right, natural. To take his knowledge and love of Quirks and put it to work in a new way.

He paused, holding the wrench that Melissa had handed him. It seemed obvious now that she had shown him her work and passion for her craft. He had only ever focused on being a hero, but this was the next best thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between updates, I've had a lot piling up on me with grad school so here we are.  
> Featuring cameos from two of my OCs from my first fic, Young Midoriya. Rui and Obi were some characters I loved making and it felt like an easy chance to reuse them here  
> Also y'all really latched onto what I thought was a throwaway line about his email, making me question myself

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, it's a new fic.  
> Yes, I'm sorry.


End file.
